Thee ofJleci uation are di. tl Booke CafoJ of Confcience. . I . The S'econd de:~ree ofcomfort is ,ro teach, A God called ro repentance, with promife of .chatthe Gone, orliones of the partiC diC!ref. pardon ifthey turned vnro him. And mLuk. [ed areio.Jeode pardoned. Buw nlaybe a(- 15.thc prodigall child, (by whome I vnder· ked vpon what li5oes may this comfort be Oand one that aftergrace recciued, fell from appiiedl Ianf>ver, vpon the[e two.Firll,ifthe his repenr•nceand obedience to God) when pawe dillretfcd confetTe, that he or 01ee os he-d1d purpo(e in his heart to rerurneagaine, heartily gneued, that by thelt Gnne or Gnnes, was pardoned, .:and receiucd into fauour. In they. hauc offended [o louingand (o mercifull the z. Cor, 5. ao. Paul faith to rheCorinths, aGod. Secondly, if they profetfe,th.r they that were fallen away, W< pr"} you in Chrif/s deGre with all their heut, to be reconciled /lead thAt1( f,( reconciledvnro God. vnto God 1n Chrilt:and atleall doe del!re to S<eondl}',beeingthusfetled in confcience, repent for their finnesJand withall doe cattle they mutt againe repent thea1 of~rh·eir-fiones. in he.uc,apurpore to hnne no more,but tn all ThirdlyandlaO!y,rheyare to b•· comforthings,( a< much as in them l1eth)to perf<ume tcd,with the prOtmfc of rem!l!ion of finnes, newobedience vntoGod, Luk.lf-11, &c. after that fome !ignes of renewed repentance Now for the better enforcingofthiscomforr, B for finnes paO,baue bcene giuen. fome texts of Scripture fitung this purpofe mullberebcarf•d, asfore,.amplc, M.rh.9. Sttl. : . 11, 13. I CAJ1Jt not to,ttO the righteous, that is r:o The fecond kinde of this Tentation or TheMofay , thofnhat iudge themldues righteous, trouble ofminde , wl•ich i~ more common& deratcdi.. burfi~~rrs, thatis,thofe which arcgrieued, be:~ letfe violent, befallesthe Childre1i of God : !Ire!I'<:. cau(e in theirowne con(cicnce J they are vile and it Wagrirf!!of heArt' moi-eorlt-Jfe' whereby and hainouS"offcnden,rarcp...t.ntAnce. Againe. mm arttroubledin rtfPeB 1' the WA11l of grar:e in Mlrth .rr.z8.ComevntomeaflynhAtare wea 4 theirhtflrtJ,,cnddifd1J ofobedience in their fiun. rie,andheauid ttdm, ~~~Iwill rifre/b)O:I. And Paul the drereferuantofGod, was pot[elfcd Chri{l faith, it was the end of his corn· with this troubleofminde, as we may readc, min"', to pre~~eh dcliuera'lct ro the Capt1ues, Rom.7.>3. Andindecdethercisno chilrlof and ~o Jet at libtrti< lhtm that an broi[td, God, bur :noreor lclfo, one rime or other, be Luk-4- 18. feeles the Oings ofGnne, and the buffering of To conclude this point, there remaines Saran,whichcaufegt~efein his heart. Bur this yet afurther queOion to be re[olued, and that griefe is a notable grace ofGod,and therefore is this . A man after repentance for fome c they wtrach Willt If, mu a labour to haUC It, gr1cuous tinne, falles lnto it ~gainc,a1.'1d is di· and they which haue it, muO notfeeke to pur llrelfed more then before: It is a cafe Come· itout,but to keepcit in mea(ureandordcr. 1vhar gneuous. For wee know, that if a man And the Grounds of comfort, whereby be rccoucrcdo( an ague,and thro.ugh dillem· the heart may be flaied mthisforrow, thatlt perin dietor orherw1fe,makes a relapfeinto it be nor rmmoJerate,may berhefo. againc)hiscafe is often defperare,and he hard· /, Ground.lt is Gods wtll, rhatthe worke of ly [capeth with his life. In thefa~ne mannerit fantl:i6carion,or rcgeoerarjon, f110uld be im. is ad<~.ngerousc.tfc, if after repenrance, men perfed in thi• hfc,aad remaine vnfini01ed t1ll make ardapfe intothefame Gn againe.Tt may death. Thispointncedesno proofe,iti•ma· then be asked,how fuch pcrfons may be reconifell both in the word of God, andin da1ly uered af1er a relapfe? experience. The reafons for which God will I anfwer, though we finde notany oneparhaue it to be fo,may be thefe, ticularexample 111 Scripture,of any onoper· Firl! ofall, Godgiucsgrace, according to for.; that wasrdlored againe after a relapfe: the mearure,and manner ofour receiuing of yet ncumheleiTe there is fome comfort for D it,which in this life is imperfdl.Someg1ft! of fuch perfons. Vpon what grounds may fome God in Chrilt, beflowed on hos feruanu, as fay 1 An(w. Men that haue notfo much as a remillionoffinnes by hisdeath,aud iu£li6cadrop of mercie,incomparifon ofGod, mull tlon byhis obcJu~nce, ;uenotputinttJVJ, but tbrgiuethc:ir brethren often and many times, are only 11ppbed and made ours hJimpnta~iM~, ye•,asourSauiourChntlfaith to Peter, rill Some other g1frs there be, which ar~ infufeJ fenenty rlmcsfeuen times, ifthey rerurne and and put antovs, as namely, fanCli6catibnJ re- [ay,ir rcpenmhed1.Now God is infinite in all g~ncration,tbe louc ofGod andJ1.1an: andby hos a<tributes.He is much in fparing:~vltb him one ofrhefc: twomeanes, towir,eirherbyim~ 1s plenteous redemption: and therefore hee putation,or infuGon, are all thegifts of God will quc!tionlct[e,vpontrue repenrance,ofren m Chrill made ours. Yet before we can tOrg1ueand forger, cuen thefamcllnne itera. haue them, we mufi receiue them, and the ted ag~inc and againe. mcanes whereby we receiue them Js fairh, Nowthefc perfons are to be relecucd in wh1ch God bath ordained,to be the hand of this[ort. Fir!!, rheymullhauetheir Con(ciour foules, to receiuc his benefits bellowed ences fetled in this point, rhattheir rebpfeis on vs. Wh1ch faith bec~ufe it is we•ke and pardonable ( though very daungerous. For imperfeCI, in this life, therefore tbe gifrs proofe hercof,rcade Efay,1.18.where mentlwhichwe receiue rhertby, arcalfo imperfcd. on is made.ofdiuers Apollataes,that were by For tbogh Gods benefitsbe like a bottornles P4 f~a,
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